Our Sermons
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111:10
1 Peter 5:7 ESV “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
Anxiety can creep up at times when we least expect it and quickly overwhelm us. Or it can take up unwelcome and apparently permanent residence in our lives. Anxiety may take on different faces, and it may be propelled by different circumstances, but the issue itself is surprisingly common. When we face anxiety, we often try to ignore it by distracting our minds: engaging in activities. Notice, though, that in this verse, Peter does not say we are to deny, ignore, or flee from anxiety. Instead, we should be “casting all [our] anxieties on him.” The Greek word for “cast” here could be used to describe throwing out a bag of trash. So, instead of going through our days pressed down by the burden of anxiety, we are to throw it, hurl it, upon the Lord. To do this requires us to be humble. Being humble is what enables us to give our worries to God. When we attempt to take matters into our own hands through too much worry, we indicate an absence of humility; we are more concerned with ourselves than with our heavenly Father, or we are more determined to navigate our own course than to leave it to Him. There will always be a circumstance that can make us anxious. Peter does not address any specific circumstances, though; rather, he addresses the anxiety produced by the circumstances. Our anxiety itself is what we cast upon the Lord, doing exactly what the Bible says to do: humbling ourselves under God’s hand, saying, “My Father knows best. He cares for me better than I can care for myself.” The Lord is always willing to help. Perhaps it has been a long time since you knelt beside your bed and truly cast your burden upon the only one who is able to carry it, saying, “God, I cannot live my life with this burden anymore. Take it. It is Yours.” If that is you, do not hesitate any longer. Cast your anxieties into the loving arms of your heavenly Father and experience the freedom and peace only He can provide.
Numbers 13:1-2 NKJ “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a leader among them.”
How do you view yourself and your adversities? God wants you to live a victorious life than you could ever imagine. But it will all depend on your mentality. In Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve spies over to the Promised Land, and even though they all saw the same things, they came back with very different perspectives. Joshua and Caleb returned optimistic and excited for what was to come but the other ten spies came back and complained (Numbers 13:26-33). They did not see the grapes, milk, and honey in the land. All they saw were the giants. They saw themselves as victims, but Joshua and Caleb saw themselves as victors. Joshua and Caleb were optimistic and excited about the Promised Land. They said, “Certainly, we can conquer it!” The other ten spies saw obstacles, but Joshua and Caleb saw opportunities. The other ten spies had a slave mentality, but Joshua and Caleb had a sonship mentality. The other ten spies were comparing themselves to the giants, not comparing their God to the giants. God did not create you to be intimidated by adversity. He said you are more than a conqueror! Your God is bigger than any giant. God uses every circumstance we go through in life to show us His strength and power. God created you to live an abundant life filled with joy and peace. It is not His plan for you to walk around stressed and worried all the time. He wants you to enjoy your life. God has some promises of purpose, favor, salvation, healing, prosperity, and blessing waiting for you. But you must see every situation in your life from God’s perspective every day. See every day as the day that the Lord has made, and choose to rejoice and be glad in it!
1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 NLT “No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Bad things happen in life sometimes. There are times we do not understand what is happening or why. But we can always be thankful for many things: God loves us. Jesus died for us. Our sins are forgiven. Jesus has promised to never leave us. God is our Father and He is faithful. We have an eternal home in Heaven. In Christ, we are more than conquerors. We are redeemed from the dominion of darkness. We have access to divine healing and prosperity. We are joint-heirs with Christ. What we choose to focus on determines our attitude. While we may face problems, we do not have to let those problems become our focus. We can choose to give thanks and praise God for His goodness and faithfulness. Imagine how wearisome that will make Satan and his cohorts feel! Also, think of the pleasure it brings our Father God when we stay in faith and focus on Him, instead of being distracted by the stuff the devil does trying to steal our faith and joy. If you are always thankful, the bad things that do happen to you will lose their ability to really harm you and to determine the trajectory of your life. Giving thanks also reminds us of how much we do have. Human beings are prone to greed. We tend to focus on what we do not have. By giving thanks continually we are reminded of how much we do have. When we focus on blessings rather than wants, we are happier. When we start thanking God for the things we usually take for granted, our perspective changes. We realize that we could not even exist without the merciful blessings of God. So, be thankful always!
Psalm 56:3 NIV “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
If you live long enough, life will bring you bad news. It may be the loss of a loved one, your health, your income, your marriage, your reputation, or other unpleasant situation(s). The psalmist wrote, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” When bad times come, you need to hold on to everything you know about God’s character. You must remind yourself that God is loving, caring, and worthy of your complete trust. Sometimes God will give you the answer; other times He will give you the assurance of His presence (Isaiah 43:2). In changing times, you must lay hold of the unchanging character of God. As the hymn says, “When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.” Does that mean denying your feelings and emotions? No. David said, “I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles” (Psalm 142:2 NLT). God is not asking you to deny the pain, the loss, and the reality of your circumstances. Even Jesus offered up prayers with “fervent cries and tears” (Hebrews 5:7 NIV). If you do not pour out your heart before God, you risk hardening your heart toward Him. Saint Augustine said, “For they are very deep in the deep, who do not even cry from the deep.” It is when you hit the bottom and turn to God that you discover He is there. It is by being shaken to the core that you develop an unshakable faith in God. When that happens, you can stand on His Word which says, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go” (Genesis 28:15 NIV).
John 16:33 NLT “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.”
How do I trust God when it seems everything around and about me is falling apart? Have you ever asked this question? Life is tough and unpredictable and sometimes does not turn out the way we plan. Jesus said that we will have tribulations in this imperfect world (John 16:33). Too often we ignore this truth and focus only on the good God’s Word promises. At times we experience inclement weather in the State of Texas with devastating effects, the kind we have never experienced in decades. Faith gives way to fear, worry, anxiety, and hopelessness. Where is God? Why is He allowing this to happen? Can we trust Him? Let me assure you that God is still on His throne, He is loving, and He can be trusted. If we focus on Christ and turn our attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we will hear tender words like a whisper in our ears, Trust me, I know what I am doing. This situation is subject to change, and it will not consume you. There is good ahead. Keep following Me and I will lead you there. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). The way we can focus on Christ and turn our attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit, when things fall apart, is to act on this commandment, “Be not afraid, only believe (Mark5:36). That is when God takes over when things fall apart!
Luke 8:25 “And He said unto them, where is your faith?”
Faith is the spiritual force that propels us to trust God to the point of believing and acting on His word. Faith is what pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).
However, we live in a world where we face trials that come against our faith on a daily basis. But that’s alright: because a faith that is not tested or tried cannot be trusted! It is the testing of your faith that produces a chance for your confidence and endurance to grow (James 1:3).
Jesus told His disciples that it was time for them and Himself to cross over to the other side of the lake (Luke 8:22). But when a storm came to test their faith in the word that the master spoke to them, they failed the test. Peter was walking on the water (Matthew 14:29) until his faith in the word of the master inviting him to “come,” was tested.
Your faith will be tested. It is a matter of time. So be prepared!